SMRT To Have Driverless Cars by 2017

Driverless Cars in Singapore – A Good Idea?

SMRT just announced that Singapore could have driverless cars as early as the end of the year. They have partnered with 2 Getthere Holding in their effort to make this come true.

Called Group Rapid Transit (GRT) vehicles, these futuristic looking little carriages will carry up to 24 passengers each, travel at a speed of 40km/hr and serve as a low-cost transit system. SMRT has stated that they hope for the cars to cater to about 8,000 passengers an hour. The GRTs are also going to be electric.

It appears that Singapore has jumped on the chance to have driverless cars populating our roads. The Ministry of Transport has even created a committee to look into the prospect. The Committee on Autonomous Road Transport for Singapore – called CARTS, because we LOVE acronyms – it is investigating the option, meaning that our roads could be entirely populated by driverless cars in the future.

Since these vehicles are rapidly gaining popularity abroad, as they are said to be safer, reliable and better for the environment, it’s no surprise that we’re looking at getting them here. However, with Google’s driverless car having suffered a crash earlier this year, and the infamous reliability issues with SMRT’s current transport systems, will these cars really be a good thing?